Hellmann’s x Quiqup: The Epic ‘El Cubano’ Sandwich

For busy Londoners/city folk/millenial types like me (and maybe you), the idea of getting home after work and going straight to the oven for hours is probably one of the least appealing things ever. I mean, for a start, where’s the time for a post-work wine? Exactly.

My usual issue with cooking in the evening is that I’m always lacking the ingredients. For whatever I want to cook, you can guarantee there’s something vital missing from my cupboard. But if, like me, facing the supermarket at 6pm on a weekday sounds like your idea of hell, London delivery app Quiqup is about to become your new best friend.

A quick and reliable delivery service for Londoners with busy lives, one of their ‘Quiquees’ will shop, collect and deliver whatever you need, fast.

It’s not just for food either – Quiqup will basically pick up pretty much anything for you – from a takeaway to a brand new dress for an impromptu work night out. Working in the city and your boss needs something urgently? Save fighting the tourists on Oxford Street and get it delivered instead!

Unfortunately, Quiqup hasn’t quite got around to rolling its service out to my E11 ‘hood’ yet, so we popped round to Conor’s parents’ place in EC1 to try out the service. And, y’know, to visit the dog.

Ordering the ingredients was super simple and I did it on my way round – the Quiqup x Hellmann’s recipe page has a button you can click to get the ingredient order on your phone straightaway. Then it’s a case of just telling them where you want it delivered to, and someone will get straight onto it.

I made two shopping orders, one for each recipe I tried, and they were both delivered between an hour and an hour-and-a-half after I made them. There’s a ‘track order’ feature on the app, as well as contact info for your Quiquee, where I kept an eye on how my order was doing.

Unfortunately, there were a few ingredients missing at the local Tesco and we did have to make do and grab a couple of extra bits from another nearby shop. Obviously, that’s down to the store, not the app. But all the basic ingredients were delivered, so if it’s bread, milk and a bacon sarnie when you’re too hungover to leave the house you need, you’ll be fine. My Quickee texted me with a query when a certain size of product had run out too with the option to pick up two smaller ones instead, which was super handy.

Next step? Making the recipes! I picked out the El Cubano sandwich, with pulled pork, ham, gouda and kale (see, healthy); and some Dukka-dusted sweet potato wedges to much on the side. Dukka is a nut, seed and spice mix from Egypt, and it’s name means ‘to crush’ – which is exactly how it’s made! The Dukka powder did take me a couple of goes to get right in the food processor – turns out the advice to not over-mix is well heeded, as my first batch was definitely more pulp than powder.

While the sweet potatoes were getting all tasty in my oven, I moved on to making up the El Cubano. And the best part? It’s SO quick to make. Sourdough baguette, filling, use two pans to flatten and melt the cheese, aaand done. Y’know what? It’s definitely one of the best home-made sandwiches I’ve ever put together. For the final touches…the perfect condiments.

I will definitely admit, I’m a full-on condiment fiend. The right condiments can just make a meal. Another thing to admit…I’m also a bit of a condiment snob – especially when it comes to ketchup. None of that supermarket own brand stuff for me, please.

Luckily Hellmann’s offer a wide selection of sauces and condiments, and the Red and Green Ketchup is genuinely one of my faves out there. It’s really tomato-y and just delicious!

Another top dip tip? It’s so easy to whip up a pot of garlic aioli to dip those sweet potato fries in. All you gotta do is pop 170g of Hellmann’s Mayonnaise, 3-4 cloves of crushed garlic, the zest and juice of a lemon, a sprinkle of salt and a splash of olive oil into a bowl and mix. Done!

The finished result? A plateful of tastiness that looked like it’d been served up at my local gastropub, rather than created in the kitchen. Once the wedges were in the oven and the Dukka powder created (you can make lots and store it for next time!), there really wasn’t too much to do, other than crack open that wine.

The Dukka was a nutty, exciting taste that complemented the sweetness of the potatoes really well. And the Cuban sandwich, although messy, was an explosion of taste. The BBQ of the pulled pork combining with the slightly-melted gouda for a truly decadent evening sandwich. YUM.

The best thing is just how easy the recipe was to put together, especially with having the ingredients were delivered quickly and conveniently to our door. Quiqup is a super versatile and handy London delivery app that I’ll definitely be making use of in the future!

To check out all the Hellmann’s recipes and try it out for yourself, head to the Quiqup x Hellmann’s page to get ordering!

*Post written in collaboration with Hellmann’s and Quiqup, the London delivery app. Surprising after-work culinary skills, mine.